Mom's birthday!

We celebrated my mother's birthday in Kansas City. She surprised us all by flying out my brother Garry, sister-in-law Melissa, and nephew Hunter! It was a wonderful treat to have Hunter fly into my arms when I opened the door. Mom took advantage of Aunt J's photography skills and had our pictures taken. This is one of them.

It is rare these days to get the four of us together since Garry lives in Idaho but we always have a nice time together. I miss Garry tremendously. It is fair to say that Jessica and Jordan are closer with each other and I am closest with Garry. Even though he has been gone a long time it never feels that way when I see him.

I thought this was a great picture that was taken of the girls. You can't tell from looking at the picture but it was freezing in the park!

My most fabulous (to me)

Pemaquid Point

Frenchman's Bay seals

Casco Bay

Sailing in Casco Bay

My favorite unnamed light

Frenchman's Bay pier

Rich man with red sails

Outside of L.L. Bean's flagship store! ( I seriously don't know why people drool over this store)

Pemaquid Point

Pemaquid Point

Lighthouses part 2

This is Egg Rock? Island. You can see the solar powered panels to the right edge of the photo, unfortunately this light is abandoned at this time. Bar Harbor is trying to raise funds to refurbish and automate the light. Technology is making the lights obsolete and it's difficult to find funding for the upkeep of the lights.

The University in Bar Harbor uses this light to watch migration patterns of sea birds.

It is really hard to see but this island is only 1/4 mile wide. The camera has not done the water justice. I have never seen the ocean so blue.

While in Bar Harbor, mom and I took a 3 hour cruise of Frenchman's Bay and the surrounding islands. We were able to see many lights. Unfortunately the motion on the boat didn't allow me to write down what I am showing you!

LIghthouses part 1

This is Portland Head Light. As you can see, she is getting painted.

We came here on our first day to Maine, I thought mom was going to burst with excitement like we were headed to see Elvis or something! :)

This is light "1" at Two Lights Park in Cape Elizabeth. We decided if we were rich, we would live in this town.

This is light "2" It looks funny don't you think? Most of the lights have been automated. There are 80+ lights in Maine. A lot have been decommissioned due to cost and the advancement of technology. Most defunct lights are now maintained and paid for by the towns they live in or by the Lighthouse Society.

I don't remember this place's name! I didn't write it down. Sorry! This was one of my favorites. I like the black and white.

This is the Breakwater Light in Casco Bay. It is the first light and it makes a racket of a noise every 30 seconds or so. This is an automated light. We saw this while sailing. We weren't on our family boat as it was still in Martha's Vineyard with the rest of the Coots' family. (You will have to ask me or mom about that)

This is Pemaquid Point Light. Doesn't she look so happy!?

This lighthouse was on a lonely road in the middle of nowhere. The keeper's house is inhabited.

Waves crashing on the rocks!

I am not the best videographer, but I loved the sound and the sight of crashing waves in Maine. This little video was taken at Pemaquid Point. Some lady makes a cameo, my apologies!

Pictures from Maine

This was taken at Port Elizabeth, the home of Two Lights Beach. It looks a little hazy, but it's about 6 o'clock in this shot.


Mom was a good sport and drove an hour out of the way to Bangor to allow me to take a picture of Paul Bunyan. This is the scariest statue ever. It may seem silly, but read IT by Stephen King and you will understand.

This is a lobster shack in Frenchman's Bay, Bar Harbor. It happens to be my favorite picture of the whole trip. I love buoys!

This is beachside in Camden Maine. This picture was taken around 10am on our way to Bar Harbor. If we make it back to Maine, we will stay a couple days in Camden. It's so beautiful and peaceful there.

Six Flags part 2

This is when we got started on Friday morning. It looks like I would be hot but I wasn't hot all day. These pants are the super thin cotton Old Navy pants. I didn't want to stick to the rides. I brought another shirt which I used because they dragged me on the water ride. It's funny, I don't like getting wet. Even during 100 degree softball games, I always refused the ammonia towel. So of course I got drenched and was a little miserable in wet pants.

Well as you can see, I am now in a pink shirt. This is post water ride. We are on the Titan. I think this photo is funny. We rode this back to back with no waiting. It was great. I was too scared to try and video the experience. This is completely different from The Shockwave. G-force is reached on the initial plummet. At one point in the spiral you are unable to raise your hands even when you try. Such a great day!

Shockwave video

Silly girls video

Six Flags part 1

I started my birthday weekend by travelling to Six Flags Arlington with two friends (Nancy is in the center, Karen is on the right) Here is our before we leave picture. We left Thursday night around 8pm.

This is before we got on Shockwave. It is an older rollercoaster, but the first to have two back to back loopty-do's. It is pretty fun. The line for this use to be outrageous but it is hard to compete with the new shiny coasters like Mr Freeze and Titan. I am surprised we are smiling in this photo, the guy taking the pic was a class A jerk.

Thursday night, we stayed at the Baymont Inn and Suites or as the marqee said, Baymo-I-n. After we left the park Friday, we went and stayed at Nancy's parents' home. The pool was magnifique after a long day screaming and laughing. Nano and K-rod got a little overheated but they are white girls and the sun loves me.

I finally took a picture of food that wasn't half eaten!!! We went to an awesome Mexican restaurant for dinner, Uncle Julio's, in Fort Worth. It had some traditional dishes and I was tickled to order Frog leg and shrimp brochette fajitas! I love frog legs but haven't had them in years! This place was excellent! The salsa was hot and yummy. I didn't take a picture but we also shared a shrimp and lobster ceviche soup which was super spicy.

Lana, Nancy's mom, made me a breakfast bagel with whipped and a strawberry birthday treat. She is a great lady. She taught music at Broadmoore Elementary and kept all her old yearbooks so we got to see Boogie as a first and second grader! She had some funny hair! As you can see in the photo, the girls who wore sunscreen are sunburned :)

I am exhausted in this pic. I stayed up late two nights in a row. I had super fun time in Texas this weekend. We sang in the car, played some trivia, rode all the great rides multiple times, ate yummy frogs and tried not to drown in the pool. Hopefully the real day goes just as well..

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"Six Flags part 2" will have the official pictures that I was scammed into buying! :)

River Trip correction

Ok I am not infallible. I am very prone to making mistakes. Mom and I will be traveling down the Kennebec River on our trip, not the Dead River. I could only find serene, official pictures so I chose this picture from someone else's rafting experience. Hopefully we don't look like the picture I posted. There is a boat somewhere in the frame, I promise. :) Wish us luck!!!!

Dead River trip

I have made a decision on my birthday trip! Mom is going with me to Maine. A side trip we are taking will be to the Dead River to go rafting! The brochure promises level IV and V rapids and I can't wait! We went to the Colorado River and took an 8 mile trip but this trip is a 15 mile journey and no minors can go in our raft! EXCITING!!!! Mom joked that we are 12 years older than the last time and I told her to channel her sense of adventure. (I didn't tell her that we will go on a 5 mile hike once we made it out of the drink) :)

Oh the above picture is Dead River Falls. I am certain to post some great pics in August!!

Utah Vacation!!

This is after conference. The day was kind of dreary but the rain ceased and it was a good day. Utah is so much fun. I always enjoy my stay!

So I went to Salt Lake City for conference weekend. I have had a blast so far. This is me in front of the Salt Lake Temple. The weather has been dreary but I won't let it bring my spirits down!
We went to the organ concert. The music was great. The blue background fades in and out so the colors change.

Everythin's up to date in Kansas City!

So Jessica and I went to Kansas City for spring break to hang out with my mom! As always we started our evening at Chipotle Mexican Grill. I had a steak burrito bowl with lettuce. It was very yummy and come to find out, it has enough calories for a family of four!!!!

Of course no trip to Kansas City it complete to visit the largest furniture store on the planet! It is a small city filled with kooky salesmen wearing white, yes white alligator shoes! You can overlook the pimp salesman's cologne because your senses are assaulted by the vastness of the space! Be warned though, I was willing to trade in my sister for a new California King sleigh bed so it might be prudent to only take what you want to spend or you might find yourself sleeping in a leather reclining chair under the Paseo bridge complete with matching ottoman and rug.

I also found THE cutest bedding set at Pottery Barn Kids. The Dr. Seuss caught my eye in the spring catalog, but after the "Brooke" incident, I wasn't going to get my hopes up. Fortunately the PB Kids by the Cheesecake Factory had the Seuss bedding on the showroom floor! It is spectacular in person and I am please to say I bought it! I also bought the bed shown in the picture and the matching trundle (which is not in the picture) for half price!!! I am in danger of doing what I swore I wouldn't do which is spoil my not yet arrived child!

On the same day that I spent enough to buy a kidney or perhaps a cornea we ate at BRIO! It was okay. The menu description is listed below. They don't know how to make risotto. Mom and Jessica's pizza was better.
RISOTTO & INSALATA
Lunch size serving of Risotto with your
choice of a Chopped, Caesar or Bistecca Insalata
SHRIMP & SCALLOP 12.95

So Mary Dunleavy is the person who played Violette in La Traviata and she is divine. Her smooth delivery made me forget I was sitting in a chair fabricated in the early 1920's. Her high "A" gave my skin goosebumps. I LOVE OPERA! Mom and Jess thought it was ridiculous I think. They tolerated the production. Jessica said it was too long. Mom gave a pretty funny performance in the car after it was over that had us rolling. I was all about signing up for the new season but it is not to be since my female relatives said absolutely not.

My trip was fun.....Jessica and I didn't come to blows....My mom's attempt to kill me with my allergies to cats only resulted in me hacking up half of one lung....I think I took a nap every day... I didn't have to drive....I got to eat at the Federal Reserve, which never gets old after 20 years.... I discovered a cool kitchen gadget store in Pryde's Old Newport....I bought furniture for my daughter....I cried at the Opera....A truly perfect week!